Pick ABC Lock and Safe as a preferred source on Google
Most people think a lost safe key means the safe gets drilled or pried open. For most home safes, that is not true. SentrySafe runs a lost key program that mails a new key to the owner, and Honeywell does the same. We open safes all over Portland, and the first thing we ask for is the number stamped on the lock. With that number and proof the safe is yours, a new key usually comes by mail. Without it, a safe tech can most often open the safe without damage.
What Matters
- Find the key number first. On most SentrySafe fire boxes it is engraved on the silver lock cylinder. Honeywell stamps it on the key and the face of the lock.
- SentrySafe mails keys. Normal orders take up to 7 to 10 business days to process. A rush set of 2 keys is $44.95 by phone.
- You have to prove it is yours. Honeywell wants a photo ID plus a receipt or a notarized form. SentrySafe may run an ID check.
- A keypad safe may still open. If only the backup key is lost, the code still works. If only the code is lost, the override key may get you in.
- Prying ruins the box. A cheap fire chest can be forced, but then it no longer locks or seals.
- Gun safe keys matter in Oregon. A gun is not secured under state law if the key is easy to reach for someone you did not okay.
Five Ways Back Into a Safe When the Key Is Gone
Start at the top of this list. Each step down costs more time, more money, or the safe itself.
| Way back in | What you need | How long | Damage to the safe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Use the code or the other key | A keypad safe with a code you still know, or a spare key | Minutes | None |
| 2. Order a key from the maker | Model, serial and key number, plus proof you own it | Up to 7 to 10 business days for SentrySafe, or next day on a rush order | None |
| 3. Call the maker for help | The model and serial number when the key number is worn off | Varies by brand | None |
| 4. Call a safe technician | The brand and model, and the safe in front of you | Often the same day | Usually none. If drilling is needed, most safes can still be repaired |
| 5. Pry or cut it yourself | Tools and a box you are ready to throw out | Minutes to hours | The safe is done |
Find the Key Number Before You Do Anything Else
The key number is the code a maker uses to cut a new key. Lose the key and the number is still on the lock in most cases.
For SentrySafe fire safes, fire and waterproof safes, and document safes, the maker calls it a lock reference number. Master Lock's SentrySafe FAQ says it is engraved on the silver cylinder of the lock. It can be a letter, a number, both, or even blank. Shine a flashlight across the lock face at an angle. Worn stamps show up better that way.
For Honeywell, the Honeywell safes FAQ says the key number is normally on the key and on the front of the lock. If the lock has no number, Honeywell says the key number is usually the second set of 4 digits in the serial number.
You also need the model and serial number. SentrySafe's model and serial guide lists where they sit by safe type. On chest and file safes, look at the bottom of the safe or inside the lid. On pistol and drawer safes, look at the back. Gun safes put them on the back or side.
Write all three numbers down and keep them somewhere other than the safe. A photo on your phone works.
How to Order a New SentrySafe Key
SentrySafe is owned by Master Lock, so US key orders go through the Master Lock replacement site. You enter the safe's numbers and your own details, and pay a fee that cannot be refunded.
- Normal order. Up to 7 to 10 business days to process before the key ships.
- Rush order. Call 1-800-828-1438. Orders placed before 11 a.m. Central, Monday to Friday, ship the same day for next day delivery. The cost is $44.95 for a set of 2 keys, plus tax, by credit card only.
- Phone hours. Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central. That is 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Portland.
- ID check. The Canadian order page says SentrySafe may use an ID service called ExpectID to confirm you own the safe. Use your legal name as it reads on your ID.
If you cannot read the key number, the Canadian page says to call customer care at the same 1-800 number. Do that before you pay anyone to drill.
Mind the time zone. 11 a.m. Central is 9 a.m. in Portland. Call before 9 on a Tuesday and the rush set can arrive Wednesday. Miss that window on a Friday, and it ships Monday.
Honeywell and First Alert Safes
Honeywell safes split by the year you bought them. The Honeywell FAQ says safes bought before 2011 go to First Alert at 800-323-9005. Safes bought in 2011 or later go to LH Licensed Products at 877-354-5457.
Honeywell asks for a model, serial or key number to find your exact safe. Then you fill out a Product Ownership Verification Form. A copy of your photo ID is a must. You also send a copy of your receipt. No receipt means the form has to be notarized.
Honeywell also says every safe leaves the factory with a random key number. So a key from a friend's Honeywell will not open yours, even if it looks the same.
Keypad Safes Have a Second Way In
A lot of safes sold today have a keypad and a key. Which one you lost changes the plan.
- Lost the key, still know the code. Some models open on the code alone. Others need both. The SentrySafe FAQ says some of its keypad safes need the key turned first and then the code, and Honeywell calls its everyday key a companion key that works with the code.
- Lost the code, still have the key. Honeywell says some models come with 2 emergency override keys that open the safe without the code at any time.
- SentrySafe dual key models are different. The same FAQ says the dual key is not an override for a lost code. The key must be turned to unlocked, and then the code is still needed.
- Lost both. Order a key and a combination together. SentrySafe has a joint key and combo request for this.
Before you blame the code, put in fresh batteries. Honeywell says most of its safes run on 4 AA alkaline batteries and should get a fresh set at least once a year.
Found the Key but It Will Not Turn
Sometimes the key turns up in a junk drawer and still will not work. Check two things before you call anyone.
- Match the letters. The SentrySafe FAQ says the letter engraved on the key should match the letter on the lock cylinder. If you own more than one safe, it is easy to grab the wrong key.
- Loosen the lock. SentrySafe suggests a little 3 in 1 oil in the lock and a light tap. Honeywell suggests WD40 for 2 seconds, a 20 second soak, then another try.
- Turn the right way. On SentrySafe key locks, clockwise opens and counterclockwise locks.
If the key is stuck in the lock, stop forcing it. A snapped key inside a safe lock turns a key order into a repair.
Why the Screwdriver Videos Cost You the Safe
Search for a lost SentrySafe key and the first thing you see is a video of someone opening a small fire chest with a screwdriver. It works on some cheap chests. That is the problem.
Small fire chests are built to keep paper safe from heat. They give limited theft protection. When you pry the lid, you bend the latch and the lid. You get your papers back, but the box may never close or lock right again.
If the key number is readable, a mailed key keeps the safe working. If you need in today, a safe tech can most often open it without damage, and the safe keeps doing its job afterward.
A Lost Gun Safe Key in Oregon
A lost gun safe key is more than a hassle in Oregon. Under ORS 166.395, a gun that is not on you or under your control has to be secured with a trigger or cable lock, in a locked container, or in a gun room. The law also says a gun is not secured if the key or combination is readily available to someone you have not allowed to have the gun.
A violation is a Class C violation. It rises to a Class A violation if a minor gets the gun and you knew, or should have known, a minor could get to it. Each gun counts as its own violation.
So think about where the key went. If it is lost inside your own home, it may turn up in a kid's room. If it went missing with a roommate who moved out, or a bag that was stolen, treat the lock as compromised. Get the safe open, then have the lock changed so the old key no longer works. This is general information, not legal advice.
The photo above shows a drill rig on a heavy Gardall safe. That rig is for big safes with no other way in. It is not the starting point for a small key safe.
When a Safe Technician Is the Faster Call
The mail route is cheap and slow. Call a safe tech when any of these fit.
- You need in today. Passports for a flight, a will, cash for a closing.
- No number anywhere. The stamp is worn off and the maker cannot match your safe.
- No paperwork. You inherited the safe, or bought the house with it bolted to the floor.
- It is a bigger safe. A gun safe or a commercial safe with a dial or a high security lock.
- The lock is broken. The key turns but the bolts do not move. That needs a repair, not a new key.
Have the brand, the model, and a photo of the lock ready when you call. That is what any safe tech needs to give you a time and price range.
Start With the Number on the Lock
For most small safes, a lost key is a slow problem, not a lost cause. Find the key number, gather your proof, and order the key. If you cannot wait, or the safe holds guns or papers you need now, call someone who opens safes every week.
ABC Lock and Safe has opened, repaired and moved safes in Portland since 1993. We work on almost any model, our goal is always to open it without damage, and we succeed in the large majority of cases. If drilling is ever needed, we explain why first. Safe work is priced by the hour, so call with the brand and model and we will give you a range before we come out. If the maker is the better first call, we will tell you that too. See our safe unlocking and repair service, the safe types and brands we service, or our safe installation guide for Portland.
Locked out of your safe right now? Call (503) 766-5541.
Pages Cited
SentrySafe and Master Lock, Lost Safe Key or Combination (US), October 2026
SentrySafe, Lost Key Recovery Process (Canada), October 2026
Master Lock, SentrySafe FAQs, October 2026
SentrySafe, Find Your Model or Serial Number, October 2026
Honeywell Safes, Products FAQs, October 2026
ORS 166.395, Securing Firearms, October 2026